The Shutdown 50: Utah DT Star Lotulelei

Summary of 11 articles · Updated Apr 26, 2013

He drafted Utah’s Star Lotulelei with the 14 overall pick. If that’s what the defense needs from me, that’s what I’ll do,” Lotulelei said. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports . In Lotulelei, Gettleman and the Pant… (more)hers are getting a huge defensive tackle that once was being talked about as the potential No. 1 overall pick in this draft. Linebacker Luke Kuechly is going to be able to roam more than he did last season, and Lotulelei is going to take blockers away from defensive ends Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy Now, let’s move onto Vaccaro. Born in Tonga, he developed a love for football at Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah, and BYU was a natural next step but he wound up attending Snow College in Utah for two years and playing for just one instead after his effort for the game was questioned and he failed to qualify for BYU. It didn’t take them long to get their card in, apparently eager to land the big man, who will start next to Dwan Edwards inside, on a defensive front seven that is suddenly quite good, with ends Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy outside, and a corps of first-round linebackers including Luke Kuechly, Jon Beason and Thomas Davis.

Carolina Panthers’ top pick Star Lotulei: Team first, glory 2nd

Panthers GM fell head over heels for Lotulelei

When Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman saw Star Lotulelei’s name on the board, it was love at first sight. “I mean, you know,” Gettleman said of the Utah defensive tackle. “It’s like when you guys met your wives, you knew, you knew.” So

Carolina Panthers top pick: Star Lotulelei

At long last, Panthers plug the middle

In the first draft of his tenure, Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman did something predecessor Marty Hurney never did. Heck, Gettleman did something Bill Polian never did. He did something Dom Capers and George Seifert did in the brief win…

Panthers, Saints go with defense

The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints both went with defense in the first round of the draft. The Panthers took Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei at No. 14, and the Saints took Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro at No. 15. My quick analysis on both: L…

Panthers get a Star with the 14th pick

The Panthers had a glaring need at defensive tackle. Now they have a Star, drafting Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with the 14th overall pick. It didn’t take them long to get their card in, apparently eager to land the big man, who will start next